A week enough?

[Guest]

Hello all,

As a deck cadet I'm often curious as to what goes on in the engine room, and wondered if it would be a good idea to spend a few days/week down there to learn something about your job.

Is a week enough time to really learn anything which will benefit me as a future OOW? I always see Masters and officers jumping up and down on the bridge complaining and moaning about the engineers, but I always wonder how any decky can comment unless he/she knows how to do the job, or at least has an incling as to the principles behind a given job down there.

Is it worth my while venturing down there for a week?

Kind Regards,
Jack.

[GuinnessMan]

Yes it would be worth your while getting down there for about two weeks. In my previous place, it was mandatory for the cadets to swap roles for a few weeks to give them an overall picture of exactly what goes on down there.

You won't understand everything that goes on, but it will give you an idea and would be useful to have that brief idea if you plan on being a Master some day. If it was my old place, we'd have had you down there tracing pipework, learning how to start/shut down the engine, how the steering gear actually works (it's not magic or fairies), etc, etc.

[ETwhat?]

Hmmm i fancy a week up on the bridge then, and the 8-12 wouldnt be too bad.

[GuinnessMan]

Hmmm i fancy a week up on the bridge then, and the 8-12 wouldnt be too bad.

In theory, I did think that switching completely wasn't the best way about it. Perhaps, one watch on bridge, some deck work and then a bit of time in the engine room and have them down there for start-up and what not....

[ETwhat?]

yeah i know that theres little i could do effectively on the bridge except chart corrections and comms, and i hate chart corrections! not that keen on talking to folk either

[chris]

speaking of the bridge - ETO cadets get to spend some time on the bridge for some of the TRB tasks including the steering gear checks, rudder or azimuth style. I got to take the ship off the pier, by moving the aqua pilot and bow thruster when the captain said so - a lot of fun.

[Randomist]

When I was a cadet I did 2 weeks in the engine room. I learned a lot, although I couldn't tell you the finer points of how/why everything happens.

As you say, it's very easy to jump up and down asking why this isn't happening or why that is taking so long. Spending a couple of weeks working with the engineers won't make you a technical mastermind but it will at least make you appreciate that when you call the ER for something or push up too far on the telegraphs what is happening outside the bridge and what the people who make the ship go and keep the lights on have to deal with, as a result of actions you take.

Did anyone find swapping the engine room for the bridge useful? Time on the bridge for engine cadets is useful but it shouldn't just be all on the bridge, like GM says, some of it should be deck work and other stuff.

[alistairuk]

When I was a cadet I did 2 weeks in the engine room. I learned a lot, although I couldn't tell you the finer points of how/why everything happens.

As you say, it's very easy to jump up and down asking why this isn't happening or why that is taking so long. Spending a couple of weeks working with the engineers won't make you a technical mastermind but it will at least make you appreciate that when you call the ER for something or push up too far on the telegraphs what is happening outside the bridge and what the people who make the ship go and keep the lights on have to deal with, as a result of actions you take.

Did anyone find swapping the engine room for the bridge useful? Time on the bridge for engine cadets is useful but it shouldn't just be all on the bridge, like GM says, some of it should be deck work and other stuff.

One of our chief engineers sent the engine cadet up for arrival / departure once or twice - or occasionally if we were doing anything unusual / interesting (very rarely)... Other than that, I don't really see the point - to be honest, all we do is look out the windows / avoid stuff and while them spending a few hours drinking tea with us won't hurt them - there is probably far better things they could be doing around the ship!

I will agree that Deck cadets spending a week or two down in the ER/ECR is beneficial - even if its just during the arrivals / departures.

[Randomist]

Other than that, I don't really see the point - to be honest, all we do is look out the windows / avoid stuff and while them spending a few hours drinking tea with us won't hurt them - there is probably far better things they could be doing around the ship!

Yeah, it's one thing to come up for arrival and departure a few times, especially to see how the bridge liase with the engine room, seeing checks and soforth but at sea more would be learned elsewhere around the ship